SINGAPORE FAMILY PLANNING AND POPULATION BOARD (AMENDMENT NO. 2) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

2.40 p.m.

The Minister for Health (Dr Toh Chin Chye): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The amendments that are proposed in the Bill are necessary to ensure confidentiality to persons who seek treatment relating to family planning in any institution or clinic maintained or managed by the Singapore Family Planning and Population Board.

This amendment complements those provisions contained in the Voluntary Sterilisation and Abortion Acts which also prohibit persons from disclosing relevant matters unless the person concerned gives express consent. The same penalties are also provided for in this Bill.

Since the inception of the Board, the number of people seeking family planning advice or treatment has risen from 30,410 in 1966 to 229,365 as at 1974. This represents 87.6% of married women in the reproductive age group making the Board the biggest institution from which treatment or advice is sought on family planning matters. It is important that the confidence of such persons is maintained and they need not have any doubts as to the confidentiality of the treatment they seek from the Board.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill-[Toh Chin Chye].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.